


Illicit

by pixeljeno



Category: NCT (Band), NCT Dream
Genre: Agent, Crime, Death, Drug Use, Drugs, Gore, Graphic Violence, M/M, Murder, Sexual Content, Threats, Torture, Violence, crime syndicate, drug ring, jeno is an undercover cop, renjun is a kingpin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:13:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25986433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pixeljeno/pseuds/pixeljeno
Summary: “At the end of the day, your loyalties lie with me. Trust is sacred, and if you ever break that trust...well...let’s just say you won’t exactly live to regret it.”Jeno is an undercover agent tasked with infiltrating and helping take down what he believes is a prominent drug ring. Unfortunately for him, the crimes taking place are on a far larger scale than he initially anticipated, and one man in particular is at the center of it all.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno
Comments: 5
Kudos: 58





	1. suspect

“Agent Lee, please have a seat,” a man with jet black hair in dress pants and a pale blue button up shirt instructs the agent who had just opened the door to his office. The man stands at the large window across the room, the blinds drawn as to expose the beautiful city view and to flood the office with the warm evening sunlight of a deep orange hue. He has his back turned to the agent and does not face him despite knowing he has entered the room. It strikes Agent Lee as vaguely unsettling that he did not need to turn to look for the man to know it was him. It could have been anyone, yet the eyes on the back of his head alerted him that it was Lee Jeno. The fact this was a common occurrence leads Jeno to believe that perhaps he had a sixth sense.

Quickly shaking off that train of thought, Agent Lee complies and wanders over to the right chair in front of the large oak desk. He takes a seat and places his hands in his lap as he waits for more to be said.

The man slowly turns to face Jeno and leans back against the window. He crosses his arms over his chest as he stares directly at him with an intense gaze.

“As you are aware, we have been thoroughly investigating a tip about a possible suspect involved in the drug ring we’ve been trying to bust ,” he starts.

“Yes, of course, Sir. Dong Sicheng, right?” Jeno responds, earning a small grin from his superior.

“Such a good memory,” he hums delightedly, “I had a few agents tail him for the past week in an attempt to report back with any suspicious activity. Unfortunately, all we have gathered is that the man likes to spend his nights in the VIP room of Club Eve. I managed to get Jaemin to tap his phone, and…”

The man stops leaning his back against the window, using his foot to lightly push himself forward and stand upright. He paces towards the desk and sits in the swivel chair on the opposite side, across from Jeno. He taps twice on the square mouse pad of his silver laptop, suddenly playing an audio recording of a phone call from the speakers. Jeno furrows his brows upon realizing the two people on the call were speaking another language and that he is unable to understand what it is that they are saying. One voice is rather deep while the other is soft and delicate. Jeno finds himself fixated on the latter, finding it very soothing and beautiful like the sound of an ocean lazily crashing against the shore or tree leaves rustling in an autumn breeze. It puzzles Jeno to wonder how a person with such a voice could be involved in something as serious as a drug ring. They certainly didn’t sound all that menacing.

The audio abruptly ends after what was no longer than a couple minutes, and Jeno looks to his superior with confusion.

“This was the last conversation we managed to get from Sicheng before his phone before he got rid of it. One of our translators informed us that Sicheng was talking to someone–whom he avoided referring to by any sort of name or alias–about hiring some sort of well-trained assassin to protect them. It seems as if Sicheng knows we are onto him, and he has alerted someone higher up that they need to hire someone to keep an eye out for us. The individual he was speaking with was talking about ordering them to kill us on site if we get too close. It’s far too dangerous for us to try to track Sicheng any longer,” he explains, “I tried getting Jaemin to track this unidentified man’s number, but it was a burner. It’s clear that we have found someone who may know the man at the top of the chain, but to continue pursuing this lead in the way we have been won’t work.”

Jeno shifts nervously in his seat.

“So...what’ll you do? And why does it involve me?” he asks.

“Ah, Lee...it’s not what  _ I  _ will do, it’s what  _ you  _ will do,” his superior corrects him as he places his elbows on the desk and clasps his fingers together, “Out of all of my agents, you are the only one with pinpoint accuracy when it comes to firearms. Someone with talent of your caliber is very clearly the best option for this job.”

“What job, exactly?” Jeno questions with a slight wince, knowing exactly what was coming.

“I will be sending you on an undercover operation to meet with Sicheng and be hired to serve whoever is in charge. You will find out who is calling the shots and report back to us with evidence to lock these sons of bitches away for life,” the man informs him, “Jaemin has already alerted me that Sicheng has mentioned how to identify the passwords to be let in the VIP room to Club Eve in previous call. He will give you the password to get in, and you will meet with Sicheng to discuss being considered as an applicant for the position.”

Jeno feels his mouth run dry. His response is delayed for a brief moment as he tries to fully process what he’s been told.

“But, Doyoung, I’m not equipped to do undercover work. I’ve never done anything like that before,” he protests at the thought of being in the middle of such a dangerous operation, “I don’t know if I could pretend to be one of them for such a long period of time. I’m not sure I could even last the vetting process.”

Doyoung sighs deeply and leans forward, placing his forearms down on the desk in front of him.

“Jeno, listen, if I didn’t believe you could handle this operation, I wouldn’t put you at the forefront of it. You are one of my best men, and I think you’ll make a damn fine undercover agent,” he insists, “I would prefer not to have to offer the job to anyone else. I firmly believe you are the most qualified to take on this assignment.”

Jeno purses his lips as he watches Doyoung open a drawer to his right. He pulls out a manila envelope and places it on the desk midway between the two of them. Stamped in thick black lettering on the front cover is the word ‘confidential’, and something about it causes goosebumps to rise all over Jeno’s skin.

“So…” Doyoung speaks once more before sliding the envelope towards Jeno, “Are you in?”

Jeno glances back up at him and exhales deeply through his nose. He hesitates a moment, but ultimately caves. He reaches forward and picks up the file.

“Yeah. I’m in,” he confirms, and Doyoung grins from ear to ear.

“Perfect,” he chirps happily, having gotten his way, “Please read up on this case. Assess everything in that file until you know it like the back of your hand, because come Saturday, I will be sending you to Club Eve to locate Sicheng.”

“Saturday?” Jeno blurts out in shock as his eyes widen twice their usual size, “That’s only three days to properly train for this case.”

“And I know you can do it,” Doyoung dismisses him in an alarmingly casual manner, “This operation is time-sensitive. The faster we get you out there, the faster we get you on the inside before someone else takes the spot we need you to fill.”

Agent Lee lets out a displeased groan, but does not argue. He bites his tongue and keeps it in. Doyoung was right: time  _ was _ of the essence. He could not ask for more time, as there clearly wasn’t any to begin with. It was out of their hands.

“Yes, Sir,” he concedes.

“Great! Now get to it,” Doyoung urges him as he waves his hand lazily in the direction of his office door.

Jeno nods and stands from his seat. He walks towards the door as he gazes down at the case file. His stomach does a flip, and it causes Jeno to smile. Despite his reservations, something about the way he was being given such an important role in one of their most prominent cases gave him an overwhelming amount of satisfaction and pride. Part of him couldn’t believe it. It seemed surreal, yet there he stands, holding the file.

Jeno exits his commanding officer’s office and shuts the door softly behind him. He grins even wider than before and mumbles to himself:

“I won’t let you down, Sir.”


	2. desperation

“I heard Doyoung put you on the case. Welcome to the club, man,” a man with dark brown hair and a wide, perfect smile greets Jeno as the detective comes down the late few steps of the flight of stairs. It was clear he had waited for him to come down, but Jeno was unsurprised. It was a common occurrence on most days for his colleague to meet with him in the parking garage after work.

The man extends his arms out and embraces Jeno in a tight hug, patting his back as he does so. Though Jeno initially hesitates hugging the man back, he soon caves in despite his typical discomfort with his affection that tends to be far too physical for Jeno’s liking.

“Thanks, Jaemin,” Jeno replies as he takes a step back to break away from the clingy man, though he still smiles brightly at him with crescent eyes filled with joy.

“So what are you working on? Who will you be working with?” Jaemin prods for answers as he walks alongside Jeno in the dimly lit parking garage.

“What? Don’t you already know?” Jeno inquires as he furrows his brow and glances sideways at Jaemin.

“No? What makes you think that?” Jaemin asks with similar confusion, though he lightly chuckles to lighten up his response.

“Oh...uh...well…”

Jeno glances around to see if there was anyone around that could potentially listen in on their conversation, but upon surveying the area, he finds that it’s only him, Jaemin, and a plethora of unmanned cars. He opens his mouth to speak, but Jaemin abruptly snatches the manila envelope from Jeno–which he had been keeping tucked away beneath his arm–before he is able to.

“Hey! You’re not supposed to-“

“We’re on the exact same case. What information would Doyoung give you that I don’t already know?” Jaemin laughs it off as he opens the confidential file.

As his eyes land on the pages inside, Jeno watches as the bright, smiling man’s expression slowly drops. He comes to a halt in his tracks, further making Jeno uncomfortable and nervous.

“Jeno...why does your file include a briefing on potential new identities?” Jaemin asks in a quiet voice.

Jeno swallows hard at Jaemin’s change in tone.

“I’ve been assigned to do undercover work for the case. Doyoung is sending me out to get close to whoever is in charge and running the drug ring,” Jeno murmurs, “I’m the one you’ll be helping send Sicheng’s way on Saturday.”

Jaemin stares blankly at Jeno for several long moments, causing the latter to clear his throat uncomfortably and stand up straight. The lack of a response makes Jeno’s palms grow clammy as his heartbeat begins to pick up its pace.

“You? He’s sending  _ you _ ?” Jaemin questions in disbelief, “No offense, but you couldn’t lie if your life depended on it. What makes him think you could survive pretending to be an assassin for an extended period of time?”

A fire is abruptly ignited in Jeno’s chest upon hearing these words, one which he doesn’t bother containing due to how incredibly insulted he feels.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Jaemin,” Jeno remarks in a low growl as he yanks his file from the man’s hands, “You know, you don’t gotta be an asshole.”

He turns his back on Jaemin, feeling his jaw clench in anger as his gaze darkens. He strides onward in the direction of his car to get away from the cynical man, but he simply follows behind with quick steps.

“I’m sorry, but this is a life-or-death mission. If you make one wrong move, you’re dead. Do you not understand that?” Jaemin questions stressfully.

“I fucking know that. What makes you think I would blindly accept this job if I didn’t know the consequences?” Jeno hisses venomously as he continues to trudge towards his car and refuses to look at Jaemin.

“I don’t see why you would accept it, otherwise,” Jaemin paces to keep up with Jeno’s large strides.

“Can you not just be happy for me?” Jeno argues as he tries not to raise his voice at Jaemin, “If Doyoung believes I can pull this off, then I think we should both trust his judgement. Why would he send me to do something that could end in my death if he didn’t think I could do it right?”

“I don’t know. Desperation?” Jaemin suggests without an ounce of hesitation.

“Goodbye, Jaemin,” Jeno remarks with a clenched jaw as he approaches his rundown black car with faded paint. He pulls his keys out of his pocket and clicks a button on the remote, causing the car to beep once as the tail and headlights flash.

“Come on, I’m just worried about you,” the man speaks in exasperation as he grabs ahold of Jeno’s wrist.

Jeno‘s eyes flit down to it, feeling Jaemin’s soft yet boney hands gripping onto him tightly. It makes goosebumps slightly rise along his arm, but he does not utter a single word.

“This is so fucking dangerous. I don’t wanna come to work one day and realize we no longer have contact with you and that any and all leads for tracking you down have gone cold,” he goes on, “We both know how these people work. Can you honestly blame me for being scared I’ll lose my best friend?”

Jeno rolls his eyes, the fire in his chest still raging on despite Jaemin’s words.

“I can hold my own. Just because you don’t believe I can doesn’t mean I can’t,” Jeno holds his ground, “I’m doing this whether you like it or not. This is a huge opportunity for me, and I’m not going to just turn it down just because you assume I'll get myself killed. If you can’t be happy for me and help me prepare for this, then keep your comments to yourself.”

He reaches for Jaemin’s hand and forcefully pries it off of his wrist. He then turns back towards his car and yanks the door open.

“Jeno, wait–“

“No, Jaemin. I’m going home. I have to memorize this case inside and out before Saturday. I don’t have the time to pointlessly argue with you over this,” Jeno snarls as he refuses to look at his friend, “Call me when you’re done ridiculing my decision.”

Jeno ducks into his car and slumps into the seat. Before he can reach for the door and slam it shut, Jaemin leans down to come face to face with him.

“Wait,” he speaks once more in a slightly panicked manner, finally garnering Jeno’s attention, though he does so with pursed lips and flared nostrils, “I’ll help you. Just...promise me you’ll take this seriously and stay safe.”

Jeno scoffs at this.

“Nothing about this operation is safe,” he remarks with a flat voice as he glares intensely at Jaemin.

“No shit, I just meant that I want you to promise you’ll be cautious of every move you make,” he clarifies with traces of irritation in his voice, “Be calculated and never slip up in a way that could alert these guys that you’re a federal agent.”

“Is that not common sense?”

“Jeno, quit being difficult and please just promise me,” Jaemin practically begs as he lets out a faint whine.

Jeno turns his head to face forward. He exhales deeply through his nose and tries to make his anger subside.

Jaemin was the man behind every undercover operation they ran. If someone was out in the field, Jaemin was always the one behind his keyboard and computer screen, keeping track of every bit of information he was being fed about the agent’s ongoing situation. If anyone could teach Jeno how to survive this undercover job, it was him. As much as his friend’s undermining comments hurt him, he knew damn well he needed any help he could get from the man.

“Fine. I promise,” Jeno mumbles out, causing Jaemin to exhale in relief.

“Thank you,” he responds in a much more relieved manner than before, “I’ll text you when I get home, okay?”

“Yeah,” Jeno continues to stare straight ahead.

Jaemin sighs deeply and hangs his head for a few moments. When he looks back up at Jeno, he nods slowly.

“Alright...well...bye.”

“Bye,” Jeno responds coldly without hesitance.

“Alright,” Jaemin says in a quiet whisper which is nearly inaudible to Jeno. He takes a step back and shuts the car door gently for Jeno before sluggishly walking away. Jeno briefly glances in his direction without fully turning his head. When his eyes flit back to stare at the concrete wall in front of his car, he suddenly slams his fists against the rim of the worn down steering wheel and lets out a grunt of anger.

Out of everyone he knew, he had thought Jaemin would surely be the one to support him and find excitement in him getting this assignment. It fills Jeno with an unbearable sense of disappointment for him to realize that the only person currently on his side was Doyoung.

He would show Jaemin he could do it. He would show everyone. He was going to be the driving force that takes down the most prominent drug ring in the country once and for all, and nothing could stop him.


	3. unidentified

_ “Rule one: the second you step into your new identity, that is the true you until you go home. You can’t break that persona if that persona is who you are.” _

Jeno nods to himself as Jaemin’s words fill his head despite the near deafeningly loud music booms throughout the club. He pushes through the crowd of people, trying his best not to shove anyone, but the packed nature of the place forces him to do it, regardless.

_ “The best identities I’ve seen agents come up with for these kinds of operations are the ones that assimilate aspects of their true identity and personality. The more believable you make this new persona, the less likely these people will notice that something is off about you.” _

The place is pitch black with no windows in sight, leaving the flashing neon light fixtures to be the room’s source of light to see with. It makes things difficult to navigate properly as it leaves much of the room improperly lit, yet Jeno still manages to spot a tall man with impeccably large muscles standing in front of a door. The man wears a full suit with an earpiece–attire he hadn’t even seen the bouncer at the entrance of the club wearing–and he stands with his left hand clasped over his right wrist.

Instantly recognizing this to be the exact man he needed to speak with, Jeno makes a direct beeline towards him, refusing to stop until he comes face to face with him. The guard glances at him, but keeps his intimidatingly serious expression. He doesn’t speak, and Jeno takes this as his cue to either give him the password or walk away.

“Rook to C8.”

The guard continues to stare at Jeno for a few more long, agonizing seconds before he finally steps aside. He opens the door up for Jeno to enter through, and Jeno exhales a deep sigh of relief. Jeno nods ever so slightly, then proceeds to pass through the threshold into a new room that is relatively big in and of itself, yet much smaller in comparison to the main area of the club. There are several booths on the left side of the room while a large bar takes up nearly the entire wall to the right with a few tables just in front of it to fill the empty space. A cleared walkway in the centre leads to a set of stairs that go up to an area occupied by one large booth lining the perimeter of it and a relatively big table set in the centre. LED lights fill the room, lighting everything from the hourglass shaped tables, to the edges of the stairs, and even to the bar’s entire lighting system. The room is flooded from top to bottom with ruby red. Music plays, but it’s much less obnoxious and doesn’t threaten to deafen those who listen to it.

“Well, you’re new,” a deep voice calls out boisterously from the top level.

_ “Rule two: always keep a low profile.”  
_

Jeno’s eyes flicker up to find a man standing on the top step of the stairs. The second his eyes land on him, Jeno is certain of the man’s identity. Dong Sicheng. He couldn’t mistake the face of the man he had been studying for the past few days, even if the lighting was low and he was a ways away. His short, dark hair, relatively slender build, deep voice, and oddly luxurious style despite being in a club we’re all unmistakeable attributes Jeno takes immediate notice of.

The man slowly descends the staircase with his head tilted slightly to one side.

“How did you manage to get in here?” he asks.

“I provided the password and was let in,” Jeno replies firmly.

A smirk forms on the man’s pretty, full lips as he stares intently at Jeno.

“And where did you get it?” he hums as he crosses his arms.

“A little birdy told me,” Jeno answers vaguely, “The bird also told me you’re in need of some... _ services _ …”

_ “It doesn’t matter how closely you are working with anyone of importance, your goal is to blend in. It’s like in those movies where the high profile person has a nameless bodyguard there to protect them without interfering with their day. Your goal is to be that nameless bodyguard. Try your best to have a lackluster presence whenever you’re around them. Do not speak without being prompted to, and always keep your answers as brief and to the point as humanly possible. _ ”

Sicheng chuckles lightly and nods.  


“Last I checked, I don’t remember putting out a public ad seeking help,” he retorts, causing Jeno to feel his heart drop, though he tries his best not to show it.

“I didn’t need it. I have an associate that found out you were being tailed by some cops. They came to me and suggested I speak with you about getting these pigs off your back,” Jeno quickly lies to him as his palms begin to sweat, “Would be a shame if they caught you and took you in for questioning. I’m sure you’d be seen as a liability…one that would need to be taken care of.”

Sicheng stares at him, still grinning despite Jeno’s words. He seems to lack any sort of intimidation. In fact, he appears incredibly amused by it all.

“And what makes you think your services are valuable to me?” he cocks one of his brows.

_ “Rule three: never let the lines blur between your persona and your true self.” _

Without hesitation, Jeno states:

“Because I’m an amazing shot, and I’m very attentive to details many others would miss regarding the safety of my clients and the evasion of police.”

The man lets out a hearty, condescending laugh that irks Jeno immensely.

“If that’s true, then prove it,” Sicheng says confidently as he pulls a gun out from a holster on his side and extends it towards Jeno, “Shoot that blonde escort in that booth over there. Do it from here.”

Jeno looks down at the handgun, feeling stunned by the sudden proposal to prove himself.

_ “Assimilating your own personality into the identity you take on while undercover is effective but dangerous. The last thing we need is for you to trick yourself into believing you’re one of them.” _

He slowly raises his head back up to look towards Sicheng. His face displays an intense scowl as he clenches his fists.

“Do I look like a fucking idiot to you?” he growls, “I’m not some mindless fuck that enacts random acts of violence for the sake of it. That’s the kind of shit that gets you caught. No wonder the cops are onto you.”

Sicheng’s grin seems to grow even wider at this response. The smile stretches from ear to ear as he slowly retracts his gun and places it back in its holster.

“Come with me,” he prompts Jeno with a slight nod towards the stairs behind him.

Sicheng turns on his heel and leads the way.

_ “Rule four: don’t let your guard down so long as you’re undercover.” _

As they approach the second level, the man plops down onto the seat on the left side. He motions his hand lazily towards the area across from him, prompting Jeno to sit there. Without objection, Jeno complies. Sicheng leans forward and grabs a glass filled with a dark liquid from off the tabletop in front of him. The table contains various drug paraphernalia as well as actual drugs ranging from weed, tablets with smiley faces on them, and capsules. Jeno isn’t certain Sicheng has been doing these drugs on his own–assuming he  _ has _ been using any of them–but he isn’t quite certain who else would have taken them considering not many people fill the VIP room and none of them are currently on the second floor with him.

“Help yourself,” Sicheng offers as he raises the glass to his lips and takes a drink.

“No thanks. I would rather stay sober. Especially for an exchange like this,” he denies.

“Suit it yourself,” Sicheng replies as he sets the cup back down on the table, “So what are you expecting out of this?”

“50k to start and a nice recommendation. But...if I’m being honest, I mainly see this as a means of having a bit of a more... _ long-term _ job. I’m a bit bored of doing one-off hit jobs. I would like to try and deal with something that requires me to always be on alert rather than get rid of someone and vanish,” Jeno explains.

“Is that so?” Sicheng questions, “And why should we hire you, a random hit man I’ve never met before, over...say...a trusted guy I’ve known for five years?”

“As I said, I’m better at paying attention to details, I have remarkable accuracy that hardly ever misses, and I take my jobs  _ very _ seriously,” Jeno reiterates.

The man crosses his arms and nods at this.

“And may I ask what kind of background you have? What were you doing before you started taking up hit jobs?” Sicheng inquires which causes Jeno to tense up, slightly. He had mentally noted a very generalized background for his undercover persona, but he hadn’t fully elaborated on it in time.

_ “No matter what you do or what anyone says, you are to never, ever open yourself up to any of these people. Make up as many lies or excuses as possible to get out of telling them more than they need to know about you. The less they know, the better.” _

“I had a few normal jobs doing things like stocking shelves and working a cash register, but they didn’t last long. I made friends with the right people and they helped me get to where I am, today,” Jeno attempts to maintain eye contact with Sicheng as he wings his response to make quick bulletpoints sound more like a brief, plausible background.

“Hm...interesting,” Sicheng murmurs, “Do you have any evidence of past hit jobs?”

“Absolutely not. Why would I keep something that could lead to my arrest? I don’t leave trails. I’m not a fucking idiot,” Jeno hisses without missing a beat.

Though he tries to keep himself focused on Sicheng, Jeno notices something in his peripheral vision. A figure appears to enter the VIP room, piquing his attention. Curiosity getting the better of him, he turns his head to view who it was that had come in.

_ “Rule five: never get personally involved with anyone with ties to the group you’re tryin _ g  _ to take down.” _

Jeno’s eyes rest on a man wearing a dark coloured button up shirt that’s tucked into his fitted pants. His hair is a dark shade–which is indiscernible in the red lighting–and it’s pushed back to expose his forehead. Though the man initially stares in the direction of the booths on the lower level of the room, he suddenly looks up towards him. In that instant, Jeno feels his breath catch in his throat. Time seems to stop completely as their eyes meet. Jeno blinks slowly, unable to process much in that moment.

_ “These people are not your friends. They will never be your friends. The minute you allow yourself to empathize with them is the minute you jeopardize the entire operation. You will create a conflict of interest and could potentially ruin everything. Besides, once these people are busted, they’ll most definitely find out that you played a part in it. They will never forgive you. Whatever friendship or partnership you think you had will be permanently broken.” _

“Hello?” Sicheng speaks irritably, snapping Jeno out of his trance, “I asked if you have a burner phone I can contact for further questions.”

“Uh, yes–yeah,” Jeno stammers out quickly.

Sicheng furrows his brow and slides a clearly outdated version of a smartphone across the table for Jeno to take.

“What’s your name?” Sicheng asks as Jeno picks up the phone and starts typing in his number as quickly as possible despite struggling to remember it.

“Jeno,” he mumbles out mindlessly before his stomach suddenly drops like a free fall.

He was supposed to give them the name Minho.

He tries not to react, but he freezes up in a state of panic. He finds himself unable to think, his mind going completely blank in that moment as the realization hits him that he fucked up such an important part of his undercover persona.

“I hate to break up this little party, but I need to speak with Sicheng... _ Privately _ ,” a soft, well-articulated voice speaks promptly from Jeno’s left, causing him to nearly startle. He snaps his head towards the sound and finds the man who had walked in was now looking down at him. Jeno’s barely functioning state is further put into distress by this man and his unwavering gaze as his eyes remain fixated on him and only him.

“We were just wrapping things up, actually,” Sicheng states, causing Jeno to jolt and finish entering his number into his contacts with a newfound speed.

He slides the phone back to him and abruptly stands from his seat. To Jeno’s surprise he notices that he is taller than the man by a few inches. At this, he becomes self-aware very briefly. He wonders why he was analyzing a relatively unimportant detail of an individual he currently has no reason to believe is involved in the drug ring. He could just be someone who buys drugs from Sicheng or is a plug for someone else. It’s still illegal, but he wouldn’t be the target group Jeno is supposed to be focused on. Unfortunately, this train of thought is fleeting and vanishes the moment Sicheng speaks again.

“I’ll be in touch,” he confirms, and Jeno bows his head in acknowledgement.

As he goes to walk away, the man captures Jeno’s wrist in his hand which makes him tense up at the sudden, unexpected contact. He leans in close to his ear, causing Jeno’s heart to beat a little faster.

“If he calls, asking you to come over, I suggest telling him no. He has a boyfriend,” the man utters quietly, his hot breath ghosting Jeno’s skin.

He then moves back and their eyes meet once more. Their gazes seem to linger on one another, but neither says a word. The two remain this way for what feels like hours, but Jeno knows it is no longer than a few seconds. Still, the moment lasts far longer than it should have. 

Jeno is the first to look away, clearing his throat lightly as he turns his attention towards the exit.

“Noted. Thank you,” he mumbles out rather than argue that their exchange wasn’t what the man assumed it was. Jeno couldn’t think to deny it, anyway; not while his brain was going completely haywire.

The man lets go of Jeno and allows him to walk away. Jeno takes full advantage of this and races down the steps. He strides up to the exit, attempting to get as far away from the two as possible, but just as Jeno reaches the door, he pauses. He finds himself inexplicably hesitating to leave the room. Despite his brain telling him to go, Jeno glances over his shoulder and back up at the second level where he left Sicheng and the unknown man. He spots the latter now sitting with his legs spread wide and his arms crossed over his chest as he leans back in the seat. Jeno isn’t sure why he looks back nor why he focuses on the man as opposed to Sicheng, yet there he was, eyes fixated on him. Jeno shakes his head to dispel the thought and reaches for the door as he tells himself he was only curious because the man seems to know Sicheng well. Still, if he is involved in the ring, surely Jeno would find out how and why, eventually, just not yet. Not tonight. He can’t stay any longer. Not if he wants to keep his sanity intact.


	4. damage control

“Are you fucking  _ kidding me _ ?” Jaemin screams out as he vibrates with rage, “Your one fucking job was to tell these people your fake alias, and you managed to fuck that up? How could you do something so stupid!”

“It was an accident!” Jeno exclaims, “I didn’t mean to!”

“Do you even realize how much damage control I have to do now just to make you untraceable?” Jaemin entangles his fingers stressfully in his hair, “Because, let me tell you, it’s gonna take all night and several of my guys!”

“Jaemin, I’m sorry!”

“Damn right you should be sorry! You’re lucky you didn’t completely blow your fucking cover with how reckless you were, tonight!” Jaemin plops down in his swivel chair and spins around to face his desktop, “We’ll be lucky if we manage to fix this shit before they try searching for you. I mean, we better hope these motherfuckers haven’t already started looking for records of you!”

Jaemin starts rapidly typing away on his keyboard as the keys clack loudly in the otherwise still air of the dimly lit tech room. The screen of Jaemin’s computer and the lamp on his desk were the only things emitting any sort of light considering everything else had been turned off. Jaemin was always particularly against using the lighting in the building after hours, as he always claimed it would start hurting his eyes after eleven o’clock at night would roll around. 

Jeno is hesitant to speak. He knows fully well that he had managed to rightfully enrage Jaemin to no end. He wanted to calm Jaemin, but he wasn’t sure how to do that under these circumstances. Jaemin has gotten irritated with him on many prior occasions, but Jeno had never seen him as livid as he currently was.

“Go the fuck home, Jeno,” Jaemin hisses venomously as he stops typing and picks up his phone from beside his keyboard.

“I want to help make this right,” Jeno claims.

“Seriously,” Jaemin groans out as he begins typing out a text, one of many which Jeno knew he was going to be forced to send out because of his mistake, “You’ve done enough damage for one night.”

Jeno feels his stomach churning as sick rises up his throat from the guilt of his actions.

“Please, tell me what I can do,” Jeno pleads, wanting nothing more than to help and to ease Jaemin’s anger towards him.

Jaemin slams his phone down on the tabletop with a loud thump and reaches for his mouse. He exhales obnoxiously through his nose, seeming to only be further aggravated by Jeno’s reluctance to leave and his persistence to try and help.

“What you can do is you can  _ go home _ . And while you’re there, think about what you’ve done and learn from it. If you fuck up again, it might not be salvageable,” Jaemin snaps as he aggressively starts deleting code from the page.

“Okay...I’m sorry, Jaemin,” Jeno concedes.

“Okay, fine, you’re sorry. I get it. Now go. I have work to do,” the angered man pushes him to leave for the third time.

Jeno lowers his head and accepts his fate. Jaemin wasn’t going to calm down tonight, so he hopes that in doing as he’s told, he will allow Jaemin the space he needs to be less livid with him, tomorrow.

Jeno crosses the room in a sluggish manner with his feet dragging against the floor. His heart is heavy from his mistake, but he refrains from saying anything else, as he knows it’ll only make things worse. He exits the room quietly, attempting to make as little noise as possible as he shuts the door behind him, though he isn’t all that sure why. It’s not as if closing it normally would do anything.

Jeno squints at the bright light now flooding his vision, and he takes a minute to get used to the change in lighting. When his eyes adjust, Jeno turns to his right to face in the direction of the elevator at the end of the narrow hallway. He hears his burner phone make an obnoxious ding, and a wave of dread washes over Jeno’s body as he anxiously questions what Sicheng could possibly want from him at this hour, so soon after meeting him.

Surely it wasn’t good. Right?

Jeno slips his phone out of his front jeans pocket and unlocks it just as a new message comes in. He proceeds to coax himself to read the texts from the new number, hoping it wasn’t related to his fuck up.

**The boss says he wants me to meet you tomorrow afternoon so you can prove how accurate your aim is. He says if you’re so good at it, you better put your money where your mouth is**

**What do you say?**

Jeno winces at the message despite a weight being lifted off his shoulders at the realization that the text isn’t sinister or confrontational. He knows that this could very well be a trap to lure him in and capture him, but the only way of knowing for sure was to go. He was certain Doyoung would force him to, anyway, as there’s no evidence to prove that any of them knew he was an undercover agent. This could potentially be a genuine offer to prove himself, and to waste it would ruin everything.

Jeno lets out a deep sigh, mentally reassuring himself that he would have backup if anything went south. His thumbs begin rapidly tapping against the screen as he types out his response. With one final exhale, he hits send, finalizing his fate. There was no going back, now.

**Gimme a time and place. I’ll be there.**


	5. target practice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, if you’re looking for updates on this fic/my other fics or are interested in me occasionally posting noren blurbs and things relating to noren, my Twitter is pixeljeno

Jeno enters into a plain room with barren grey walls and nothing to furnish it. The entire wall across from Jeno is lined with six firing lanes that are all open and ready for use. The two inner lanes have gun cases which sit on the ground in front of them, one of which is far smaller than the other.

Sicheng stands in front of the lane furthest to the right, leaning his back against the wall as he texts on an old-looking smartphone. His head snaps up at the sound of Jeno entering the room, and he grins from ear to ear.

“Yes, just in time,” he practically exclaims as he slips his phone into the front pocket of his dark coloured jeans, “Go up to one of the two middle lanes and start shooting.”

Jeno nods and compliantly approaches the right lane due to its closer proximity. He immediately crouches down and flips up the metal latches on the small case with a satisfying, simultaneous double click. He opens the case to find a brand new handgun which appeared to have little to no use prior to his arrival. He loads the magazine in with a forceful, upward shove of his hand and stands up. He stares directly at the human-shaped outline of the paper target hanging from a metal beam above, noticing it is as far away from Jeno as it can possibly be. This alerts him that Sicheng either wanted him to fail or was testing to see how good his range is. Jeno nearly chuckles to himself at the former thought, knowing he was about to prove him dead wrong if such was the case.

Jeno aims for the chest of the target–taking into account the recoil which would occur once he fires–and cocks the gun. Without hesitation, Jeno pulls the trigger and instantly raises his hand slightly higher before pulling it again. Jeno lowers his gun, and before he can even get a proper look at how he did, a machine starts whirring. The paper target is brought up close and stops just inches from his face. The results of his practice are now on full display for both him and Sicheng to see. Unsurprising to Jeno, he managed to make perfect shots in both the head and heart.

“Hm...nice...but can you do it without giving yourself time to adjust? If there is ever a threat to someone’s life, you won’t have time to aim properly. How about you try it again but without taking time to prepare your shot?” Sicheng requests as he motions to the lane to Jeno’s right.

Without any objections, Jeno approaches the new lane and raises his gun. He aims as best he can before firing twice.

The same machine whirs loudly as the new target sheet comes closer, revealing Jeno’s shot had been just barely less accurate than before. Still, they were unbelievably amazing shots.

“Interesting...hand me the gun and go to the other lane. Let’s try something with a little more _bang_ ,” Sicheng hums.

Jeno extends the handgun towards the man, allowing him to take it before he strides towards the new firing lane. He gets down on one knee and clicks open the long gun case. Upon opening it, he finds an assault rifle inside, but no bullets are to be found in the case.

“No bullets?” he inquires as he glances up at Sicheng with a cocked brow.

“It’s already loaded,” the man remarks, “I was forced to use it last night.”

“Forced?”

“Yes, there were some cops loitering outside my house. Unfortunately, I had no choice but to massacre the pigs.”

Jeno’s jaw clenches in anger as he breathes heavily in response to this information. He wants to leap forward and tackle Sicheng to the ground in that moment, but he holds back.

A fuckng cop killer. Jeno knows he shouldn’t be surprised, but to hear him groan about murdering innocent lives as if he had been forced to rid his house of pests was infuriating to listen to.

“You look pissed,” Sicheng points out.

“Yeah, did you even properly clean up after yourself?” Jeno snaps as he tries to pretend his anger is directed at Sicheng’s carelessness.

“Ha, no. That’s not my job,” Sicheng laughs condescendingly, “I hired someone else to do it.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Jeno grumbles.

“Enough chit-chat. Start shooting,” the man rolls his eyes irritably.

Jeno tries to force himself to get it together as he stands and aims at the target. He mentally imagines Sicheng in its place and fires off with a burning rage in his heart.

It isn’t until the rifle running out of ammo that Jeno finally lowers the gun. The machine loudly sounds out once more as the target comes to him. Jeno finds he had successfully shot a huge hole into the chest of the target and a smaller one in the head.

“Wow! That’s amazing!” Sicheng chimes out happily, but the sound of his voice doesn’t make Jeno smile or smirk at his success; it makes him clench his jaw tightly as he withholds his urge to punch the man.

Jeno drops the gun to the ground and turns on his heel to face the wall behind him. He spots a man with jet black hair standing in the control room, just beyond the window. He stares directly at Jeno, watching him with a cold expression that’s unreadable. Something about him gives off an intimidating aura despite his cutely rounded face, soft features, and rather young appearance in comparison to Sicheng.

Was this the man he was looking for? The man from the other end of Sicheng’s call?

“I’ll have to discuss with my boss about his opinion on this, but I feel pretty good about it. I think you’ll fit in just nicely,” Sicheng explains.

“Mmhmm. Sounds good,” Jeno mumbles as he watches the man step away from the window and walk towards the door. It opens up into the room where Jeno and Sicheng reside, and he looks towards Sicheng, garnering his attention immediately despite not saying a word. He nods towards the control room, signalling for the man to enter inside with him.

“Just a minute,” Sicheng dismisses himself as he approaches the man. They both step into the control room before shutting the door and leaving Jeno on his own.

Jeno wastes no time as he reaches into his pocket and takes out his phone. He clicks on the camera button and raises his phone slightly as to discreetly get the man into the shot. When he does, he snaps a picture and hastily unlocks his phone to send the picture to Jaemin.

**I think this might be our guy. Could you run some face recognition software and try to identify him?**

After no more than a few seconds, Jeno receives the reply:

**On it. I’ll let you know if I find anything once you get back**

Jeno nods to himself and promptly deletes the chat. He then goes to his photos and disposes of the pic he had taken as to cover his tracks entirely.

Mere seconds after doing so, the door opens forcefully, and the two men exit the room, their eyes trained on Jeno. The black haired man in a white button up shirt and navy blue slacks approaches him; he bows his head slightly as a sort of greeting as he stands before him.

“I’m impressed by how well you managed to hit those targets. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone that accurate in a long time…if ever, honestly,” the man remarks, and Jeno feels his hopes sink. The man’s voice is different from the one he heard on the recording back in Doyoung’s office. It wasn’t quite as soft and delicate as the one he was seeking out, and Jeno realizes he’s made no progress. He doesn’t know who this man is or why exactly he is here, but Jeno is certain he isn’t Sicheng’s boss.

“I’m flattered,” Jeno says as to remain pleasant with whomever he was currently speaking with. It is clear he has more power than Sicheng, but how much more power? Where was Sicheng’s place in all of this? Why did Sicheng seem important, yet this younger-looking man seemed to have a higher status without being the boss. Unless he is and there was a misunderstanding Jeno has yet to catch on to.

“As you should be,” he responds with a faint smile as he steps around Jeno to view the target he had shot at. Jeno takes notice of two burly men standing idly at the door to the control room, keeping a watchful eye on him. Jeno slowly turns around to be side by side with the man to gaze at the sheet of paper.

“I would ask you questions since I’m so shocked at how you managed to pull this off, but that’s not what I’m here for,” the man admits.

“Then...why _are_ you here?” Jeno inquires curiously.

“To be a witness. I’m supposed to make sure you’re as good as you said you were. I’m actually surprised you managed to deliver. Most people don’t,” he explains as he throws an arm around Jeno’s shoulder, “That’s why I’d like to know if you would come with me.”

“Go with you?” Jeno asks in utter confusion, “Where?”

“To go through one final assessment,” he pats Jeno’s right shoulder, avoiding stating a specific place.

Though Jeno feels slightly uncertain about accepting the offer, he knows it’s the only way to ensure his spot among them.

“Alright. I’ll go,” Jeno agrees, earning a wicked grin from the black haired man.

“Perfect,” he murmurs quietly before lifting his arm from around Jeno and snapping his fingers.

Before Jeno has time to react, a thick burlap sack is thrown over his head and he feels an arm wrap around his throat, putting him in a chokehold. Jeno writhes and kicks, but it’s no use. The man holding him is far stronger than he is. The lack of oxygen slowly begins to build an unbearable pressure in Jeno’s head, making him feel as if it were going to pop. He feels someone else aggressively grab his arm just before something punctures his bicep. He tries to cry out in pain but all that comes out are choked noises.

Jeno grows increasingly weak and struggles to breathe. Before long, he is no longer able to fight against the men. His energy has rapidly depleted, and there was nothing he could do. Deciding he has no other choice, Jeno accepts his fate and allows his body to cave in to the exhaustion it feels. He shuts his eyes in defeat, slowly slipping into a state of unconsciousness.


	6. first encounters

As Jeno slowly comes to, he realizes that a burlap sack is still covering his head and preventing him from being able to see. Very little light seeps through the relatively thick material, alerting him that–wherever he was–it had to be well-lit. Jeno wriggles his hands and legs, instantly realizing that they were both tightly bound using a copious amount of duct tape.

“I think he’s awake, Sir,” he hears the voice of the man from the shooting rage speak out.

“Perfect,” a softer voice utters as he hears footsteps approach him.

The sack is abruptly yanked off Jeno’s head, revealing him to be in a room with concrete walls and a stainless steel table between him, the man from earlier, and the person Jeno recalls approaching him and Sicheng at the club. He is now able to see him in full view without the dimly lit atmosphere and red lights to obscure any details about him. His hair is a deep brown shade and is slightly layered as if he had some sort of mullet prior, but it has grown out since. His facial features are reminiscent of that of a fox, and his eyes are dark. A mixture of curiosity and something a little more sinister dance within them, and they captivate Jeno in a manner which he could not form into a proper thought.

Jeno watches the man grin at him as he sits on the table before him with one leg hitched over the corner while the other swings just an inch above the ground, clearly too short for his feet to touch the floor. He looks Jeno directly in the eyes, and Jeno becomes aware that he had stopped breathing at the sight of him. He takes a conscious breath, feeling as if he now has to manually force himself to breathe just to do so.

“Hello,” he greets Jeno but this time in a far more clear and projected voice. The sound of him speaking makes Jeno’s heart drop. He hadn’t heard his voice with this level of clarity before. The music back at the club was distracting his concentration, and he found himself so awestruck with the man that he didn’t notice he was speaking to the individual he had been looking for. The person before him was the same one who had been talking to Sicheng on the phone about hiring someone to protect them from cops.

“So you’re the guy asking for an in, hm?” he hums as his eyes scan Jeno from head to toe. He was examining him in an odd manner which Jeno couldn’t quite put his finger on. It makes him shift slightly in the chair under his intense gaze. Jeno notices the man lick his lips, drawing his attention to them inadvertently. They appear full, plush, and indescribably beautiful. Something about them entices Jeno in a way he doesn’t care to admit. He quickly tries to ignore this feeling and instead get a name he can assign to this now familiar face.

“Who are you?” Jeno asks as he tries his damnedest to remain calm, collected, and focused on his current situation, somehow managing to do so despite the circumstances.

The man chuckles breathily and drops his head for a moment. When he raises it back up, Jeno finds himself taken aback by how mesmerizing he looks while smiling and amused.

“So no one told you about me, then,” he chimes, “Good. With how Sicheng is, I was almost certain he mentioned me.”

“So are you not going to answer the question?” Jeno mutters passive aggressively.

“Hm...mouthy...Noted,” the man murmurs, and Jeno feels his stomach instantly tie in knots.

He sits quietly for several long moments, staring at Jeno with a cocked brow. The longer he waits, the more he can feel sick rise in his throat, threatening to spew from his mouth in a projectile stream. Jeno was well aware he was intentionally torturing him with stress and a lack of an answer, but it was working, anyhow. He could not stop his anxieties from worrying him about if the man’s view of him would be influenced substantially by Jeno talking back. He was being assessed under a microscope, and if he slips up in the slightest or acts out of line, he could ruin the operation.

“Huang Renjun,” the man finally answers, “I’ve heard Chenle praise your accuracy when it comes to firearms, and I have to say...I’m interested to know more about you.”

Jeno swallows hard, his eyes flickering to the man sitting across from him before returning his attention back to the one in front of him.

“What do you wanna know?” he says in a quieter voice.

“For starters, how did you find out that the police were tailing Sicheng?” Renjun prompts him.

“I know a guy who’s really good with tech who knows a federal agent. He hacked into the guy’s laptop and accessed some documents related to Sicheng. Turns out they’ve been onto him for a while now,” Jeno remarks as confidently as possible, though his voice is still a bit too feeble-sounding, “My guy told me if I came to you about your little cop problem, it might convince you to hear me out about assisting you.”

Renjun does a quick raise of his eyebrows with a faint ‘hm’ upon hearing Jeno out. He nods a bit before speaking once again.

“Though it would be extremely entertaining to turn you away at this point just for expecting your plan to work out, I’ll refrain from being an asshole. Besides, I think there’s some bigger questions you need to answer,” Renjun tilts his head slightly, “Like how do we know you’re not an informant for the cops?”

Jeno feels his stomach drop instantaneously. Certainly Renjun couldn’t know he was a federal agent. Right? He tries to push the alarming thought away and instead attempts to think fast as to be able to play Renjun’s game.

“I mean, your accuracy suggests you’ve been incredibly well-trained. Granted, it’s better than any cop I know, but do you care to explain how you managed to learn to be such a good shot?” Renjun adds.

Jeno’s expression hardens as his own story comes to mind. Not having been prepared to answer a question about how his aim was so accurate that wasn’t ‘I guess I just have a talent for it’, he decides to tell Renjun the truth.

“My father was a cop in another town across the country...From a very young age, he decided to help teach me how to properly handle a gun. It started with gun safety, and when I turned ten, he started helping train me on how to actually shoot one. He trained me every single day for the rest of his life, even after I proved my aim to be incredibly accurate,” he explains, “He was killed when I was sixteen. By his request, his coworker took over and helped finish what he started…”

Jeno recalls the day Doyoung came to his home to continue his training. It was the day after he and his mother received the devastating news, and he was still grieving over the loss. He cried to Doyoung that he just wanted to be alone, and despite the man’s sad expression, he informed Jeno that it was his father’s wish to continue regardless.

“It’s honestly ironic, you know? How he had trained me to be the best cop a precinct could ask for, but instead I’m using my talent to kill,” he mumbles.

“Cops are killers, too,” Renjun points out, “I’d argue they’re just as bad as us. Maybe even worse, depending on how you look at it.”

“How so?” Jeno questions.

“They kill innocent civilians without a second thought. They uphold an oppressive system. They abuse their power and damage the lives of innocents just because they can,” Renjun states, “Worse yet, they go to great lengths to justify their actions, and they will almost always get away with any wrongdoing they commit. It’s practically legalized crime.”

Jeno bites his tongue, trying his best to remain silent and not argue with the man.

“I can see discomfort on your face…Do you disagree?” Renjun inquires, causing Jeno to feel nauseous once more.

“No, I–I just...I like to hold onto a good image of my father,” he attempts to rationalize his bitterness, though it is a weak excuse at best.

“I understand,” Renjun’s voice drops to a near mumble, “I guess most people would try and view their deceased parents in a much better light after they’re gone than to think of how they genuinely were when they were still alive.”

Jeno can see Renjun’s expression harden as he speaks. He can see his eyes visibly darken as if Jeno had somehow managed to hit a nerve.

“Yeah…” Jeno murmurs before adding to his prior claim as to make himself look better, “But aside from my dad, I could give a fuck less about cops.”

“Yes...I’m sure you do…”

Renjun spends a moment staring unblinkingly at a fixed point behind him, seemingly lost in thought. He abruptly sits upright and returns his gaze to Jeno. He readjusts his bright red blazer as he clears his throat, then proceeds to tug down a bit at the collar of his plain white t-shirt.

“Honestly, I don’t care how you view your father, so long as you understand that the job you’re essentially asking me to give you is one where you are required to protect us from cops. You will have to shoot to kill any that get too close, whether that be physically or because they know too much about us,” Renjun makes direct eye contact with Jeno, “Do you understand the terms which you would be entering this position with?”

“Yes.”

“Do you agree to them?”

“Yes.”

Renjun nods lightly at this and takes a moment to seemingly consider things one last time.

“Alright, I’ll hire you…but on one condition,” he says in a low voice.

“Anything. You name it,” Jeno confirms, causing Renjun’s cute smile to form on his lips once again. It was clear he loved Jeno’s compliance and eagerness to do whatever he says, and Jeno fully recognizes this.

“Chenle...release him,” he hums.

The man sitting across from Jeno stands promptly from his seat. He walks toward Jeno with a hand in his front pocket. He pulls out a relatively large pocket knife and clicks it open, causing the blade to spring out from the side. He kneels down and cuts the duct tape around Jeno’s ankles with a sort of sawing motion. It takes him a minute, but when it breaks, he tears it off of Jeno and moves on to the tape around his wrists. Once freed, Jeno brings his hands out in front of him and rubs his red wrists.

“Come with me,” Renjun instructs with a faint nod towards a metal door to Jeno’s right.

Jeno stands and allows Renjun to lead the way. The shorter man opens the door and holds it open for Jeno to walk through. He bows his head, then enters into a long, narrow hallway with cement walls and multiple doors on either side. His eyes wander as Renjun joins him and begins walking down the hall. Jeno makes sure he stays no more than two feet behind Renjun until the man makes a sharp turn to the left and places his hand on the knob to an unmarked door.

“I have a loose end I need tied up. I hope you understand,” he speaks calmly.

He harshly turns the knob and shoves the door open. Renjun leads him inside a room nearly identical to the one they had just left, and to Jeno’s surprise, they were not the only ones occupying it. A barely unconscious Sicheng sits in a chair facing the door with his head lazily resting on his shoulder as his body leans to the right.

“Unfortunately, Sicheng has been extremely reckless lately. Not only has he caused a bunch of police to start tailing him, he decided the best way to handle a swarm of them standing outside his house was to brutally massacre them all while he’s still a high profile target,” Renjun explains as Sicheng’s head slowly raises, “To make matters worse, the man he hired to clean up the mess was found and taken in for questioning.”

Sicheng groans as his droopy eyelids struggle to open.

“I had people take care of the guy, but...I need Sicheng gone,” Renjun continues.

“Gone? Define  _ gone _ ,” Jeno prompts him.

Renjun takes his hand and lifts it up so that Jeno’s palm is facing the ceiling. He abruptly pulls out a handgun and practically slams it into Jeno’s hand.

“Kill him,” Renjun commands in a low voice as he lets go of him and takes a step back.

Jeno stares at the gun, feeling incredibly uneasy as he moves it so that he can properly hold it. He aims for Sicheng’s head, but the tenseness in his body and the voice in the back of his head telling him not to do it causes Jeno to hesitate for a moment. He didn’t want to kill anyone, even if the person he was tasked to murder was such a vile man as Sicheng. He never had to and always chose to avoid it in the past.

But he has no choice.

Surely trying to talk Renjun out of killing him would raise red flags and put his character into question. He was trying to convince Renjun that he’s a hitman; if he can’t follow through with a simple kill, the man would know something was wrong.

Jeno fixates his mind on the idea that Sicheng has killed many innocent lives and tries to justify his death being a good thing. If his life ended, it would prevent more from suffering. One life taken to save many. Though it’s nothing less than vigilante justice, Jeno takes into account this may be the only form of justice any of the families of the police he’s killed will get.

Jeno cocks the gun and rests his index finger on the trigger. He steps closer to Sicheng, placing the barrel against his forehead. With a deep breath, Jeno pulls the trigger, and a loud bang sounds throughout the room. Blood, skull fragments, and brain matter splatter against the wall in shades of red. Jeno stares at the sight, everything inside him screaming in horror as he views the aftermath of the murder he had just committed, but he can’t afford to express his panic in front of Renjun. So there he stands, staring vacantly at Sicheng’s lifeless body as he suppresses his emotions and allows himself to go numb.

Jeno hears a breathy chuckle in his right ear as a hand rests on his left shoulder.

“Good job,” Renjun’s sweet voice praises him, “Welcome to the team.”


	7. trust

Jeno sits beside Renjun in the back of a black van with his face in his hands as he finds himself unable to get the image of Sicheng’s corpse out of his mind. The sight was seared into his brain, and he could picture it very vividly without even trying. His lifeless eyes stared unblinkingly down at his lap as his head hung without the strength to keep it up, anymore. The bullet hole in his forehead trickled with blood down the bridge of his nose, off the tip of it, and directly onto his clothes where it seeped into the fabric. Jeno thankfully couldn't see the exit wound, but he could still see the blood that soaked his hair around the area. It was a haunting sight that Jeno isn’t sure he’ll ever be able to forget.

“Now that you work for me, I want to make a few things clear,” Renjun’s soothing voice speaks to him; it alerts Jeno to lift his head and face towards the man who is sitting to his right, “The first is that you answer to me and only me. I don’t care who tells you to do what, my commands come above anything that anyone else says. If someone tries to act as a superior to you, I’m to be notified, and I’ll make sure to put them in their place.”

“Put them in their place? So your people are genuinely scared of you?” Jeno inquires with a mix of disbelief and confusion, “You don’t strike me as someone who’s exactly...well... _intimidating_.”

Renjun lowers his head and chuckles darkly.

“People tend to underestimate me considering I lack an intimidating appearance, but I’m not so cute and harmless when I’m slowly sawing off your fingers with a knife or taking a sledgehammer to your kneecaps,” he remarks with a polite grin that felt far more sinister in combination with his threats, “So please...tell me again how I don’t seem threatening.”

“Point taken,” Jeno concedes as he curls his hands into fists and rubs his thumbs lightly over his knuckles as he winces at the thought of his fingers being cut off in such a manner.

“Good,” Renjun murmurs as his eyes finally flicker back up to meet Jeno’s, “As I was saying...I would also like to make it clear that there are two things which I value more than anything else, and that is loyalty and trust. I don’t care who you are, where you’re from, who you used to be, or what you choose to do when you aren’t doing your job; at the end of the day, your loyalties lie with me. Trust is sacred, and if you ever break that trust...well...let’s just say you won’t exactly live to regret it.”

Renjun’s piercing gaze bores holes into his soul, and although part of Jeno wants to evade his intense stare, he maintains eye contact.

“Understood,” Jeno confirms with a faint nod.

“I hope so,” Renjun eyes him, “It would be a shame to have to dispose of you so quickly and find a replacement.”

The van fills with uncomfortable silence as the man’s words hang heavy in the air. Jeno knows he would smirk at Renjun’s words and make some sort of teasing remark under any other circumstance, but his brain is still unable to get past the thought of having killed Sicheng. Any semblance of life in him was currently nonexistent.

“So. I’m supposed to have a meeting with a supplier tomorrow over a dispute in regards to a recent shipment of coke to the inner city. Big men with big guns are most definitely going to be there, and although it’s just so the guy feels safer, I don’t like taking chances,” Renjun explains casually, “I expect you to be there in case anything happens and I need your... _assistance_.”

Jeno nods slowly in understanding.

“Where and when?” he asks promptly, but Renjun shakes his head dismissively.

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll be sending someone to pick you up,” he hums.

“But how will you know where to pick me up?” Jeno questions as his brow furrows.

Renjun suddenly leans back and reaches into his front pocket. He slips out a phone and extends it towards Jeno with a content smile. Jeno glances from the phone to Renjun and back, taking a second to process what was happening.

“I’ve programmed my number into your contacts and sent myself a text so that I am able to message you when the time comes. Be ready,” Renjun informs him as the van slowly comes to a stop, “And a word of advice: I suggest using a passcode so others are unable to see any sensitive information you might receive.”

Jeno feels his stomach sink despite knowing he had nothing for Renjun to see. He takes his phone from him as casually as possible despite wanting to snatch it from him.

“Noted.”

Renjun nods.

“I’ll be in contact,” he says in a slightly lower register despite it still remaining soft and gentle-sounding.

Jeno nods, acknowledging Renjun before clicking his seatbelt buckle and pulling open the door to the van. He peers out to find the empty parking lot of the building he had been inside to do target practice. Letting out a sigh of relief that he would be able to take his car home, Jeno hops out of the van and turns to reach for the door. He spots Renjun still staring at him, but this time his eyes seem to scan him from head to toe and back again. Jeno licks his lips as his brain stops working for a brief moment.

“Goodnight, Jeno,” Renjun smirks ever so slightly at him.

“Goodnight, Renjun,” Jeno nearly stumbles over his words. At this, he slides the door shut and turns in the direction of his car. He reaches into his front pocket and pulls out his car keys, exhaling deeply upon finding that they’re still there.

The van drives away as Jeno begins to walk in the opposite direction, officially parting ways with Renjun until tomorrow. Jeno strides up to his car and unlocks it. He leans against it for a moment, using it as support as he takes a shaky breath and attempts to think about what to do. With barely a second thought, Jeno knows exactly where he needed to go.

••••

Jeno enters the dark room, finding the only light source in the room being from a singular computer in the back.

“No, I don’t need you to send someone out yet. I just need you to help me track his fucking location, okay? If we send anyone after him, we could get him killed. Do you _want_ him to die?”

There is a brief pause in conversation as Jeno slowly approaches the man at the computer. He comes up from behind and remains quiet as he listens.

“Then do as I tell you to and stop trying to suggest things,” he snaps, “Did anyone make sure he had anything on him that we could track him aside from his phone?”

Yet another pause.

“So you’re telling me you _didn’t_ put a tracker on his phone and you _didn’t_ put anything on him so we can–“

“Jaemin?” Jeno finally speaks up as he places his hands on the tabletop to the man’s left and leans down into his field of vision.

Jaemin jolts away from him and stares with widened eyes.

“Jeno what the fuck?” he screeches out as he grabs at his chest, “Fuck, Sungchan, forget it. He’s here.”

At that, Jaemin presses a button on his earpiece and spins his chair to better face Jeno before shooting up and standing over him.

“Where the hell have you been? It’s been radio silence for five fucking hours!” he hisses at Jeno.

Jeno slowly stands upright so he can be face to face with Jaemin. He stares vacantly at him, unable to properly think. His mind is blank, and all he can do is gaze at the man with a lack of emotion on his face. He appears distant and unfocused, and this doesn’t go unnoticed by Jaemin.

“Hey...what happened?” he questions in a far more gentle tone, “Are you okay?”

Jeno slowly shakes his head.

“I was drugged and taken to some sort of compound...when I woke up, I had a talk with two men. One was Chenle while...the other…”

Jeno slowly zones out, his mind replaying the moment he laid eyes on Renjun after waking up. It’s incredibly vivid, and he can’t help but become distracted by the memory of his flawless face and enigmatic presence.

“The other?” Jaemin prompts him.

“The other was…” Jeno pauses, determining whether or not to give out his full name just yet, “He said his name was Renjun.”

Jaemin’s expression hardens as he nods.

“We talked about how my aim is so accurate and how I found out about the police tailing Sicheng. He told me I needed to do something. He didn’t say why...He just told me to do it,” Jeno goes on, a shiver running through him as he can practically feel Renjun’s hot breath against his ear, whispering praises for doing what he asked.

“To do what?” Jaemin asks.

“To...to kill Sicheng,” he informs him, “He took me into another room where they were keeping him, and he told me to kill him to tie up loose ends. I-I didn’t know what else to do. Saying no would have been too dangerous, so...so I did it. I did it, and I’m supposed to accompany him to a meeting tomorrow with a supplier.”

Jaemin places his hand over his mouth, cupping over it as his eyes look away from Jeno. He then raises both of his hands up to his head and runs his fingers through his hair. He turns and takes a few steps away from Jeno before spinning on his heel and facing towards him once more.

“Oh fuck, Jeno…” he utters quietly, “What have you done?”

Jeno feels his stomach plummet at his best friend’s reaction. He had known he did something bad, but to see Jaemin this way solidifies his worst fears.

“Who else knows about this?” Jaemin inquires.

“Just you,” Jeno answers, not entirely knowing who else within Renjun’s circle would know or would eventually come to find out. Though, he wasn’t sure that it mattered.

Jaemin glances towards the door, then back to Jeno.

“Don’t tell anyone else about this. Not even Doyoung. Keep this between us. Do you understand me?” he instructs him, making direct eye contact with Jeno as he does so.

“Okay, yeah, no, of course,” he rambles out mindlessly as he starts to feel his world officially start to come crumbling down around him. He fucked up badly, and he knew it. He was never supposed to murder their main lead in the investigation, but here he stands with blood on his hands and the knowledge that he took out the one man they could tie Renjun to that was definitively involved with the drug ring.

Jeno’s eyes burn as he tries to hold back tears. He failed himself, he failed Jaemin, and he failed Doyoung. He hasn’t entirely failed his mission just yet, but he was nearly certain he would fuck that up, too, if he doesn't try harder.

Though the room is dark and Jeno doesn’t expect it, Jaemin seems to notice his struggle in keeping himself together. Jaemin exhales deeply through his nose and shakes his head slowly. He steps closer and pulls him close, embracing him in a tight hug as he rests his chin on Jeno’s shoulder.

“It’s okay. There’s nothing else you could’ve done. If you hadn’t, Sicheng would have been killed anyway. You would’ve been put on Chenle’s hit list for not doing what they wanted and-”

“Chenle isn’t the guy we’re looking for,” Jeno interrupts.

“What?”

“Chenle isn’t the boss...It’s Renjun.”

Jaemin pulls away, his brow furrowed in confusion.

“What?” he repeats himself.

“It’s Renjun.”

Jaemin abruptly moves away and practically throws himself into his desk chair, hastily clicking onto a new webpage.

“Did he give you a full name? Something, anything to go off of aside from his first name?” he begins typing rapidly, “I can try and see if I can pull up records on him. You said you're supposed to go with him to meet with a supplier, right? We can try to pull together a sting operation by tomorrow. We can get this guy and be done with the case for good-”

“No, Jaemin, stop,” Jeno manages to get the man, who is talking far too quickly, to silence, “Back off for a minute. We need more evidence to arrest him.”

This statement causes Jaemin to finally stop what he’s doing and listen to Jeno.

“I want to build a damning case against this guy. I want to make sure he won’t be able to get off on charges due to a lack of evidence or a technicality,” Jeno remarks in a low voice.

“You know that continuing to further involve yourself with this guy could mean that you have to kill more people. You understand that, right?” he warns him.

“I know...Just trust me, okay?”

“Are you sure you can handle it?”

Jeno’s lips form a hard line at this. He knows it’ll be difficult, but he tries to convince himself that he would be able to find a way to cope with it. Surely it would get easier, especially if he was only forced to kill people who weren’t his own. Right? He had to. There was no other option. He _must_ redeem himself for killing Sicheng.

“Yes,” he responds assertively.

Jaemin takes a deep breath and nods lightly in acceptance.

“Okay. I trust you,” he concedes, “Do what you have to, just make sure you don’t make me regret this.”

“You won’t. I promise.”


	8. provoked

Jeno opens the door to the black Mercedes and climbs inside.  
  
“Hello, Jeno,” a soft voice hums to him as soon as he shuts the door.

Jeno turns his head and finds Renjun grinning at him. He instantaneously takes notice that his hair has been trimmed so it appears neater and more presentable than before, though it’s still fairly long. Jeno had to admit that it looked far better on him than his last hairstyle.

“Hello,” he greets Renjun in return as he tries not to stare too long at him to observe his new look. He instead attempts to focus on buckling his seatbelt.

“Are you ready for today?” he inquires in a calm, almost casual fashion.

“Yeah, of course,” Jeno answers promptly before facing forward, avoiding eye contact with him as the driver pulls away from the curb and gets onto the road.

“Perfect,” Renjun nods once in acknowledgement of his reply, “But I must warn you...what we’re heading into isn’t a typical business exchange.”  
  
“You don’t say?” Jeno remarks with a cocked eyebrow as he glances sideways towards Renjun.

The smaller chuckles darkly in response to this, lowering his head for a moment before looking back up at Jeno.

“A comedian, are we?” he asks rhetorically before his voice register lowers slightly and his demeanor turns eerily serious, “I suggest you take this seriously. Might I remind you that if my life is on the line, so is yours.”

Jeno blinks once at the man and chooses to remain silent. To make any further comments would be to poke and prod at a bear which he was not fully aware of what it was capable of. He did not want to risk running Renjun’s patience thin over a stupid joke that was only meant to tease his wording of what was going on.

“As I was saying, this isn’t a typical meeting. I have had... _unpleasant disputes_ with this particular supplier before. He’s had a track record of raising prices at random without letting my men know until the last second, and he’s apparently not the most agreeable person. He’s not one of my main suppliers, so he doesn’t bring all that much value to me. Still, little dividends add up over time, and I’m not usually one to turn down an offer for a little extra cash if the deal isn’t suspicious or far too much of an inconvenience to me,” he explains, “Unfortunately, I’ve been informed that the recent shipment of cocaine we were supposed to get never came in. I gave him twenty four hours to do it, and yet nothing was delivered. I decided to arrange a meeting so I can cut ties and be done with him.”

“Peacefully? Without violence?” Jeno feels a deep sense of confusion fill his body.

“Yes,” Renjun refuses to elaborate, leaving Jeno with more questions than answers.

It makes no sense to him why Renjun would act as if he would harm or kill anyone who crossed him, yet he refuses to use violence against someone who very clearly has been graced with one too many chances and ruined them all.

“Why? Are you scared of him or something?”

A boisterous laugh escapes Renjun’s pretty lips. It’s almost melodic and soft despite the patronizing, loud nature of it. He throws his head back into the headrest of the seat, finding an incredible amount of amusement from Jeno’s inquiry. It takes him a few moments just to placate himself and return to his neutral-presenting state.

“Scared of him? No one scares me. I’m the one people fear. As they should,” he finally answers, “But my reasoning for not using violence against him is my business. All you need to worry about is whether or not you need to take any headshots to make sure I get out of there _safely_.”

Hearing the word ‘headshots’ tells Jeno everything he needed to know about why Renjun didn’t plan to use violence, himself. He intended to have Jeno do all the dirty work the second he either needed or wanted him to. Part of him wants to despise Renjun for this, but he recalls him mentioning how men with guns would be there to protect and defend the supplier. Renjun wouldn’t be able to do much with all eyes on him, waiting for him to make even the slightest move which they deemed suspicious or threatening. He hated what Renjun wanted him to do, but he was understanding of the fact he needed backup to do what he most certainly would not be able to.

“Is anyone else gonna be there to help protect you? Or am I all you got?”

“I prefer to keep a low profile today. The less people protecting me that can be spotted, the better.”

“So it _is_ just me.”

“And there _won’t_ be a problem with that,” Renjun speaks pointedly, “You will do your job, you will do it right, and there will be no complaints because you’re lucky to even _be here_ right now.”

“Yes, sir,” he murmurs as he glances out the extremely tinted window, not seeing much aside from the passing lights of buildings and street lamps.

The rest of the ride is relatively silent and uneventful. There are moments in which Jeno would glance at Renjun and find himself mindlessly staring at the man as he takes in a few of his captivatingly divine features. He looks so small and delicate, and although Jeno knows that the latter is far from the case, he can’t help but see a man who appeared gentle and beautiful like a fairy. He becomes curious as to how Renjun turned out so fucked up. He couldn’t possibly have always been this way...right?

Renjun nearly catches Jeno the first time he had become lost in these thoughts as he gazed at him, but he managed to look away before his head was turned enough to be seen. Unfortunately, he isn’t as lucky the second time around. Jeno couldn’t snap out of it fast enough, and Renjun makes direct eye contact with him. A faint smirk plays on his perfect lips, but he doesn’t utter a single word. Jeno turns away as a wave of embarrassment crashes over him and swallows him whole. His cheeks burn, and he knows they must be turning a deep shade of rose as he mentally cringes at the knowledge that he had been caught staring at Renjun in such a manner which most definitely appeared as if he were allured by him. And although he was, in a sense, intrigued by the man and mesmerized by his outward appearance, he most certainly didn’t want Renjun becoming aware of that fact. He wasn’t certain what Renjun would do with that sort of knowledge, but he knew it couldn’t be good, no matter the case.

Jeno notices the car take a turn and begin to slowly drive through an area which he can’t see particularly well through the windows. It isn’t until they stop that Jeno becomes fully aware that they have arrived at their destination. Renjun unbuckles himself and rolls down his window about halfway before turning to face Jeno. He uses his index finger to motion for him to come closer, and Jeno complies without hesitation. He leans over Renjun as the smaller points to a warehouse building with a flat roof to the right of a clearing just a little ways away. Jeno could spot multiple burly men standing around with varying types of guns which he couldn’t quite identify from where they were parked.

“You’ll be sitting right there on that rooftop, monitoring and listening to everything going on,” he explains.

Jeno nods lightly and leans back to put space between him and Renjun.

“If you notice anything that seems wrong or find that my life is potentially in danger, you shoot, and you better shoot to kill,” Renjun instructs him, “And if I give you the order to take a shot, you better do it immediately.”

“Got it,” Jeno agrees, though he feels part of his soul die at the realization he was being put in a situation where he was most certainly going to be forced to kill an indeterminate amount of men. Granted, he was sure none of them were good people, as they were clearly involved with shady business, but it didn’t make things any easier.

Renjun snaps his fingers, and the driver immediately reaches over to the passenger's seat. He picks up a small box and turns to extend it out for Renjun to take. The man murmurs a thanks before removing the lid from it and placing it beneath the bottom of the box. Renjun then pulls out an earpiece with a relatively long wire.

“This will be your earpiece. I can’t afford to wear mine in-ear considering I don’t want to raise any suspicions about why I have a visible wire on me. I’ll still be wearing it so that the microphone picks up on our conversation, but it’ll have to be hidden. I trust you to do your job so I don’t _need_ to hear you tell me anything,” he speaks with a sort of warning tone to his words.

“Of course. No need to worry. I’ll have the situation under control,” Jeno assures him.

“You better,” the man remarks in a near murmur, “Now...let me just…”

Renjun leans forward into Jeno and raises the earpiece up to his ear. Jeno’s breath catches in his throat at the lack of space between him and Renjun as the latter helps put the device in and clips the wiring to his clothes to secure it. Renjun maintains a concentrated gaze as he does this, seemingly unbothered by the fact there was only a few inches between them. He’s doing such a simple act, but Jeno can’t help but watch him while his mind buzzes with confusion. He couldn’t understand why Renjun felt the need to help him put on a simple earpiece when Jeno could have done it. Was it an act of kindness? Was it Renjun assuming he couldn’t do it on his own? Was there truly a need for him to be this fucking close? Jeno wasn’t certain, and he was too lost in thought to try and argue that he could do it just fine by himself.

As he finishes securing the wire onto Jeno’s person, Renjun’s eyes flicker up to meet his. Time seems to slow for Jeno in that moment. What he determined had to be no more than a second or two felt like an eternity of being entranced by Renjun’s gaze.

“The equipment you’ll need is in the trunk. Better hurry and get into position so we can get this over with. The clock’s ticking. Let’s not keep them waiting,” Renjun licks his lips before retreating back and returning to the box to pull out a second earpiece for himself.

Jeno remains in a daze as he tries to wrap his head around what had just happened.

“Yes...yes, sir.”

**••••**

Jeno lies on the rooftop of the warehouse building, watching as Renjun approaches the group of men awaiting his arrival.

“Look who decided to show up,” a deep voiced man speaks to him.

“Now Yukhei, just because you’re early for once doesn’t mean I’m late for being on time,” Renjun retorts as he stops several feet away from the man.

Jeno furrows his brow as he wonders if Yukhei was extremely tall or if Renjun’s height just made him appear that way. He couldn’t quite figure it out from where he was. What he _could_ see was that the man had dark hair which is slicked back, and he’s wearing a black and red suit that feels a little too formal for the occasion. Unfortunately, not much else is discernible about his appearance.

As the two have a pointless back and forth conversation, Jeno scopes out two men beside Yukhei, and about ten other men scattered around the perimeter of the clearing which is boxed in by the warehouses. Several are hidden in the shadows, but Jeno notices their subtle movements which give away their presence.

“Let’s just skip the small talk and get this over with, shall we?” Renjun suggests.

“Certainly,” Yukhei agrees.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why I asked to meet with you personally, but I think you have a good idea of what that reason might be.”

Renjun appears to clasp his hands together and lowers his arms down in front of him.

“You have proven time and time again that our business agreement isn’t enough for you, and although I was willing to let things pass once or twice for minor underhanded behavior, neglecting to uphold your end of the deal when you’ve been paid to do something as simple as deliver a batch of drugs is unacceptable. I’m not losing money over an unreliable prick like you.”

Jeno feels his muscles tense at Renjun’s words. What the fuck was he doing? Why was he using such abrasive words like he wasn’t concerned at all about being shot?

“Now, Renjun...I _know_ you’re not stupid enough to think of firing me,” Yukhei laughs incredulously. Though he plays his statement off as a bit of harmless banter, Jeno knew that there was a very real threat behind his words. He was warning Renjun, and Jeno wanted nothing more than for him to take it seriously.

“Our partnership has been terminated,” Renjun states with conviction, “I suggest finding another distributor, elsewhere...assuming you leave this exchange gracefully enough for me to consider not informing everyone I have connections with to never work with you.”

Yukhei scoffs in disbelief, but he somehow maintains a sort of cockiness to his proceeding statements despite his clear agitation.

“It’s almost like you’re begging for death...Do I really have to remind you that I have armed men surrounding you, waiting for the green light to take aim and fire,” he threatens him, “You won’t be terminating any contracts with me unless you’re prepared to be met with a hailstorm of bullets.”

Jeno spots a few of the men surrounding Renjun and Yukhei start taking a few steps closer to the scene. He grips his sniper a little tighter, but he doesn’t put his finger anywhere near the trigger just yet.

“I don’t take business advice from deadbeat scammers. I suggest you and your men pack it up and leave peacefully while you still can,” Renjun continues to antagonize the man.

“Renjun, shut the fuck up. I swear to god, shut the _fuck_ _up_ ,” Jeno hisses aloud, though he knows it is pointless to do so and does him no good.

Then, it hits him.

He could just walk away. Jeno could walk away from this dispute and allow Renjun to dig his own grave. If these people kill Renjun, then that would put an immediate end to his case. Jeno wouldn’t have to spend weeks, months, or even years by his side doing undercover work and harming fuck knows how many people. He could get out of this scot-free right here, right now. Granted, Renjun’s removal from his position of power would most likely lead to Chenle taking over, but that’s a bridge he could cross when he gets to it.

Refusing to think twice about it, Jeno takes up the sniper and crawls back over to the other side of the rooftop where he had previously placed a ladder against the building. He begins to climb down as quickly as possible, trying his best to ignore the discussion going on between Yuhei and Renjun that was still filling his ear. Upon reaching the ground, Jeno hurries over to the corner of the building and peeks his head out to survey the area where the confrontation was taking place.

“I’ve made my decision,” Jeno picks back up on the conversation just as Renjun seems to decline some sort of final offer.

“Suit it yourself.”

The tall man raises his hand up–level with his head–and Jeno sees nearly every gun raise and point directly at Renjun. Jeno’s stomach plummets at the sight, immediately raising his sniper and placing his finger over the trigger instinctively. It feels awkward to be holding it in this way, but it was the fastest weapon he could draw in that moment.

No, just leave him to die. He’s not worth it. You gain nothing from saving him.

Jeno tries to convince himself to just walk away, but something inside him was screaming at him not to leave. He couldn’t explain it, and maybe it was because part of him knows better than to abandon his mission like this; still, he couldn’t let Renjun die. Not yet.

Jeno takes aim at the man closest to Renjun, and he pulls the trigger before anyone else can. He hits him directly between the eyes, killing him instantly. Yukhei ducks, throwing his hands over his head as he crouches down. The other man beside him flinches, but before he’s able to react, Jeno fires at him as well. Another headshot.

Amidst the confusion, Renjun swiftly darts away just as guns start to fire off left and right from every angle. Jeno takes a few shots at a couple people he can spot, but he knows he can’t take everyone out from where he’s standing. He drops the sniper and opts to draw his handgun from the holster on his side. He hides just a bit further behind the warehouse, his eyes scanning the general area which he saw Renjun take off towards. He sees Renjun taking shelter behind a black SUV, and although there were people shooting in his direction, no one was hitting him. Unfortunately, this doesn’t matter. A handful of men were slowly approaching and closing in on him. He was safe, but not for long. Jeno had to act fast, and he had to act now.

Jeno takes a deep breath and bolts towards Renjun as fast as his legs can carry him. Shots are being fired at him, but nearly every single one misses him. One buzzes past his head and almost hits its mark, and Jeno counts his lucky stars that it didn’t. The second Jeno reaches Renjun, he takes him by the hand in a very rough manner. He glances around the corner and shoots the nearest man directly in the chest, causing him to drop to the ground in front of the others. This throws them off but only for a few seconds before they continue to advance towards the two.

“C’mon!” Jeno yanks Renjun along as he races for the black Mercedes which they arrived in.

Jeno turns to look over his shoulder and attempts to shoot at the men gaining on them. He hits a few, but he’s almost certain he only downed them due to the inability to fully turn around to face them.

As Jeno and Renjun approach the car, Jeno notices something isn’t right. The closer they get, the clearer the sight becomes. Blood was sprayed all over the passenger’s side window, and the one on the driver’s side is broken with a small hole at the center of the cracked glass. Jeno lets go of Renjun’s hand and wrenches opens the car door to find their driver lifelessly leaning over the center console with a bullet wound going through the side of his head.

“Fuck!” he hisses in a panic as he and Renjun continue to be shot at, “Get in the fucking car!”

Knowing they didn’t have time, Jeno grabs the corpse by the arm and drags it out. He discards the body on the ground unceremoniously as Renjun tries to get in the passenger’s side.

A man comes up from behind Renjun tries to grab him, but Jeno is quick to react. He takes aim at him and pulls the trigger without a second thought. The man falls with a soft thud, and Jeno points the gun at Renjun.

“Get in the fucking car!”

Renjun does as he’s told, and Jeno quickly hops in as well. Both slam their doors shut and Jeno starts the car with shaky hands as bullets begin to fly through the windshield.

“Get down!” Jeno commands, and Renjun complies immediately.

Jeno forcibly steps on the gas, and with a loud screech of the tires, the car speeds away from the site. Though they continue to be shot at, it eventually comes to a stop as the two of them get further and further away. Jeno hears Renjun breathing heavily in the passenger’s seat as he cautiously raises his head. He soon sits up completely and looks at Jeno with a wide grin that spreads from ear to ear. He laughs lightly, both confusing and irritating the living hell out of Jeno.

“Well that was fun,” he remarks.

“What the fuck? We could have gotten killed!” Jeno cries out, unable to comprehend why Renjun was treating this as if it was some game.

“But we didn’t. Granted, you did your job a little sloppily, but you were successful nonetheless,” he brushes off Jeno’s concerns, “Man...how exciting is it to have your life put on the line like that?”

Jeno briefly looks away from the road to stare in bewilderment at Renjun with wide eyes.

“It wasn’t exciting, it was fucking stressful,” he replies as he concentrates on the road once more, “Is that why you provoked Yukhei? Because you like the thrill of nearly dying? Is that it?”

To this, Renjun chuckles again.

“No, but I can’t deny that the rush felt… _amazing_. I knew you wouldn’t let anything bad happen to me. You did just as you were supposed to,” Renjun remarks.

“And what if I didn’t, huh? What if I let those motherfuckers take you out or failed to get you to safety?” Jeno counters in complete and utter vexation.

“I would have gotten out alive.”

“How?”

“I have my ways,” Renjun ultimately dismisses his question, “Besides, even if I didn’t...ha...what a way to go out.”

He leans back in his seat, continuing to smile wide in satisfaction.

“You’re fucking insane.”

“You don’t say?” Renjun responds in a very smug tone.

Jeno purses his lips at this comment as he rolls up to a stoplight. He suddenly becomes aware of the fact he was simply driving without knowledge of where to go or where Renjun even _wanted_ them to go.

“Where am I dropping you off?” he grumbles as he finally asks.

Renjun abruptly jolts forward at this and begins tapping the screen on the dashboard between the two of them. He pulls up the GPS and inputs a previously saved address into it, loading the directions almost instantly.

“In a quarter mile, turn right,” the female voice instructs.

“Where are we going?” Jeno asks.

“Home.”


End file.
